Students preparing for an English language proficiency exam generally need to choose between the TOEFL and IELTS exams.
Everything you need to know about the IELTS can be found here.
The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS for short, is one of the most popular English tests in the world. It is accepted by more than 6,000 organizations worldwide, including universities, immigration offices, government agencies, professional bodies, and multinational companies.
The IELTS test is an exam that assesses your listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills in less than three hours.
Accepted by 6,000+ institutions
Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Total exam takes less than 3 hours
Specific test type tailored to your needs
There are two types of IELTS tests: Academic IELTS and IELTS for General Training. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both tests, but the topics of the Reading and Writing content vary depending on which type of exam you take. The Listening, Reading, and Writing components of all IELTS exams are completed on the same day without interruption. The Speaking component, however, may be completed up to a week before or after the other tests. The total exam duration is 2 hours 45 minutes.
| Academic IELTS | IELTS for General Training |
|---|---|
| Measures English language proficiency required for academic and higher education environments. | Measures English language proficiency as it is used in practice, i.e., in everyday contexts. |
|
Listening (30 minutes + 10 minutes to fill in the form) Four pre-recorded monologues and dialogues. |
Listening (30 minutes + 10 minutes to fill in the form) Four pre-recorded monologues and dialogues. |
Reading (60 minutes)
|
Reading (60 minutes)
|
Writing (60 minutes)
|
Writing (60 minutes)
|
Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)
|
Speaking (11 to 14 minutes)
|
Designed to be simple and easy to understand, IELTS results are reported as band scores on a scale ranging from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest).
| Band Score | Skill Level | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert User | The test-taker has full operational command of the language. Their use of English is appropriate, accurate, and fluent, and shows complete understanding. |
| 8 | Very Good User | The test-taker has full operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. They may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. They handle complex detailed argumentation well. |
| 7 | Good User | The test-taker has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some situations. They generally handle complex language well and understand detailed reasoning. |
| 6 | Competent User | The test-taker has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. They can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. |
| 5 | Modest User | The test-taker has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though likely to make many mistakes. They should be able to handle basic communication in their own field. |
| 4 | Limited User | The test-taker's basic competence is limited to familiar situations. They frequently show problems in understanding and expression. They are not able to use complex language. |
| 3 | Extremely Limited User | The test-taker conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. There are frequent breakdowns in communication. |
| 2 | Intermittent User | The test-taker has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. |
| 1 | Non-User | The test-taker has no ability to use the language beyond a few isolated words. |
